Project information

Ambassadors Fathers Football Project

This football education project encourages poor marginalised fathers from Tower Hamlets in London to:
• Exercise
• Engage more with their children’s education
• Connect with other fathers from different ethnic, social and religious backgrounds
• Improve social and community health in the area.

Charity information: Ambassadors Football

Need

To help unemployed or poorly paid ethnic minority fathers working anti social hours improve their health and engage more with their children's education and the wider community. Currently this target group of fathers:
• Are significantly disadvantaged
• Lack accessible support and services specific to their needs
• Can be overlooked in favour of engaging mothers
• Are often difficult to engage
• Are vital to the well-being of their children, families and community.

Solution

Fathers Football helps through football coaching, matches, tournaments and social/educational events/sessions to bring fathers together regardless of background to achieve whole life change by:
• Providing exercise opportunities to address health issues.
• A fun attraction for fathers of different backgrounds to build friendships and help each other.
• Bringing together local schools, faith groups and community services for the fathers
• Addressing education, employment and social needs.

Aim 1

Fathers Football aims to help impoverished fathers exercise more across the borough and beyond.

Activities

» Run football coaching and playing sessions at least one morning a week for fathers in partnership with 6 different schools in the area. » Run tournaments and sporting social events at least once a term for fathers across all 6 project sites. » Facilitate healthy living education classes across all 6 sites.

Aim 2

Fathers Football aims to help fathers engage more with their children’s education.

Activities

» Run dditional programmes for the fathers around sport in the schools e.g. fathers v teachers football matches, fathers and children football sessions. » Facilitate education and parenting classes at the schools for fathers for greater involvement in school and children's activities » Facilitate fathers particpating in training programmes lnked to the schools for greater confidence to engage with their children's education.

Measurement by schools on attendance and involvement in parent children activities plus Ambassadors measurement of football initiatives for father child engagement at the schools.

Aim 3

Fathers Football aims to connect fathers from different ethnic, social and religious backgrounds

Activities

» Running weekly football sessions and termly tournaments and social events to break down barriers between different ethnic groups. » Running weekly classroom sessions after the football so that fathers can build friendships through social and education sessions. » Faciltate the establishment of Fathers Forums in 6 schools for fathers to have support groups of like minded people in their area.

Monitor progress of the Fathers Forums at the schools, measure through recording of numbers of participants and their ethnic origins both in weekly sessions and additional events.

Aim 4

Fathers Football aims to improve social and community health in the area.

Activities

» Facilitate education and training sessions for the fathers to enhance employement opportunities and increase engagement with other ciommunity groups. » Invite fathers to be involved in other community activities through volunteering and accessing other social services in the area. » Facilitating social activities such as meals and park based sports events to bring different community groups together.

Analysis of impact on lifestyles as recorded in pre and post course assessment (quarterly) plus weekly feedback from participating fathers, staff, partners and stakeholders.

Impact

Help fill the social provision gap for poorly paid/unemployed ethnic minority fathers so that they are fitter, more engaged in their children's education, well supported and enjoying a broader experience of life in the area i.e. stronger families, flourishing and fulfilling their potential in communities with social harmony and cohesion in Tower Hamlets and beyond. Success will be demonstrated through self assessment, stakeholder feedback, partner input and external recognition.

Risk

Sustainable funding - Aim to engage more local sources from businesses, local authorities, trust funds as well increase local ownership through in kind volunteering and resource provision.
Assessment of success - Brought in external partners to help with monitoring and evaluation plus allowed more reflection and research within the projects.
Partnership breakdown - Encouraged transparency, open communications and regular dialogue with stakeholders.

Reporting

Via social media updates, monthly email reports, quarterly outcome reports, end of year assessments and invitations to visit the project sites and to participate in events linked to the project.

Current Funding / Pledges

Location

Tower Hamlets is one of the most impoverished areas in Britain as measured by a number of factors:
Poor health - over 20% of the adult population in Tower Hamlets is considered to be obese
Low social cohesion – “the underlying issues causing unemployment are related to isolation, lack of access to services, lack of sense of belonging to the wider community” (London Center for Social Impact 2012)
High unemployment - 13.2 per cent in the borough (2012 figures - 3rd highest in London).

Beneficiaries

Hard to reach, marginalized and sometimes an alienated group i.e. fathers, particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds will benefit through:
1) Support to unemployed or poorly paid men working anti-social hours who struggle to meet with people when not at work.
2) Enabling schools to reach out to fathers with whom they have historically struggled to engage, to enhance the education and well-being of their children.
3) Supporting fathers into education, training and employment.

Why Us?

The breadth of partnership beyond Ambassadors has meant that the project is holistic, meets felt needs, delivers with excellence, sustainable, provides development opportunities and is a local solution to a social provision gap.
Ambassadors with over 20 years football social impact delivery experience provide the excellence, ‘know how’ and training for the strategic and project deliver. 2013 best new project shortlist nomination by the global sports development network Beyond Sport.